Environment

This section of the report addresses recycling, waste management, mining impacts, and air and water quality indicators.

Many of the region’s critical environmental challenges relate to its industrial past. The lingering effects of coal mining and other heavy industries include contaminated brownfield sites, coal refuse sites, mine subsidence, mine fires, and acid mine drainage. Some of these issues are difficult to quantify or measure. In 2026, 36 sites in the region were designated under either the statewide (HSCA) or federal (CERCLA) programs for remediation. Cleanup of these sensitive sites, which often involve bankrupt owners, abandoned facilities, or facilities where hazardous materials have been improperly disposed of, is a crucial step in preventing further harm and facilitating a return to productive use. The region is also home to 7.5 percent of Pennsylvania’s abandoned mine land (AML) sites and 26.2 percent of its anthracite coal refuse-producing sites. As part of policies designed to address the impact of these sites, the region has been home to a significant share of statewide projects receiving funding under the AMLER program to return AMLs to productive use.

The amount of waste generated in the four-county region decreased from 2023 to 2024 following several peak years. In 2025, there was a slight increase from the prior year. Municipal waste was the largest component of all waste generated in the region except for Wyoming County (resifual waste). Recycled materials largely consist of single-stream substances and organics, followed by metals.

Indicators have been positive regarding the region’s air and water ecosystem quality. Air Quality Index (AQI) scores are generally good where data is available, and the Chesapeake Bay Project's annual monitoring of the Susquehanna River shows normal results in several metrics of stream water quality.